Malaysia has again extended the temporary 15-day visa exemption for tourists from China and India to the end of 2019.
Agents handling these markets welcomed the continuation of the exemption, most recently planned to cease on December 31, 2018, saying it would help Malaysia compete better with Thailand and Indonesia – the former offers visa on arrival while the latter offers visa exemption to Chinese and Indian tourists.
K Thangavelu, president of the Malaysian Indian Tour & Travel Association (MITTA) as well as Grandlotus Travel Agencies managing director, said: “There is plenty of direct air connectivity from China and India to Malaysia. Airfares are also very competitive on these routes.
“The continuation of the 15-day visa exemption, which has been extended on a year-to-year basis from October 1, 2015 for Chinese tourists, and from April 1, 2017 for Indian tourists, is a good move by the new government because the hassle of getting a visa has always been a hindrance to travel. If the Malaysian government doesn’t offer this, we may lose both these big markets to neighbouring Indonesia and Thailand.”
Uzaidi Udanis, president, Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association, said the extension of the visa exemption was timely in view of the upcoming Chinese New Year period, which is also a peak travel period for Chinese tourists.
He said: “I was in Hunan recently and our trade counterparts there were concerned whether the exemption would be continued. It is good that the government is announcing this (ahead of the peak season) as this is a selling point for Chinese tourists who have yet to decide on which medium-haul destination to choose.
“On our part, we are helping boost awareness on Malaysia in China by organising the Malaysia-China Spring Festival Carnival in Kuala Lumpur on February 16 to showcase the Malaysian Chinese culture and heritage. Hunan TV will broadcast this event to their viewers in China. We hope this activity will also help to create more interest in Malaysia and in turn, encourage more Chinese tourists to Malaysia.”
Bobby Eng, general manager, Sunflower Holidays, shared that the extension of the visa exemption will help him sell Malaysia to corporate incentive or meeting planners.
“In the past, the process of obtaining a visa took about five working days. It was a hassle especially for organisers who had to coordinate with participants from different parts of the country. Now individuals planning to travel to Malaysia can register online for the 15-day visa exemption – the approval is fast and the system is user friendly,” Eng remarked.
In some ways, hotels today have hardly changed from those a hundred years ago. Guests will still walk into a lobby, check in at the reception, dine at the hotel restaurant and ask the concierge for city recommendations. Yet hidden from the guests’ view is a web of technologies that facilitate their stay from the moment they book to the moment they leave.
VR for sales presentations
One of the most interesting pieces of technology that we employ is virtual reality (VR). We use an Oculus Go VR set that essentially allows travel agents, meeting planners and guests from around the world to view our rooms and facilities almost as if they were here. While PowerPoint files and images are all very well they cannot provide the same immersive experience that true VR can.
Every hotel is unique, and all hoteliers will want to show off every nook and cranny to potential guests and agents, that is what Oculus Go allows us to do. Meeting planners and travel agents are able to travel throughout our hotel and view our facilities as if they were there. This matters because each agent will have their own requirements from the size and style of rooms, the size of the lobby, number of swimming pools to the shapes and sizes of the meeting rooms.
Equipped with this new technology, we have already seen results. We have seen an increase in the number of travel agents visiting our property after viewing it through the VR headsets, site inspections and contracting has also improved. Agents are not going to spend their time viewing a hotel that they do not think fits the needs of their guests and the Oculus Go headsets allow us to bring the hotel to them first. When they do come and visit, they feel like they are returning to a hotel they have already visited!
Training technology
Oculus Go is not the only technology that brings results. We train our staff in language and upselling skills using Boost’s mobile learning solutions. Since we started using Boost we have increased upselling revenue by five per cent and have received positive online reviews on the quality of English language skills that our employees possess.
This has also generated better relations with travel agents as they understand that our staff can speak the language of their guests – if their guests are happy then they are happy. Importantly as a leader, my employees are simply more confident and have acquired new language and upselling skills that they will take with them throughout their careers.
Revenue management
We also use LodgIQ as a revenue management tool which provides analysis of anonymous Big Data to extract revenue insights. This allows us to manage our room inventory in a much more efficient way. Importantly, it has improved our partnerships with travel agents as we are able to provide more rooms at more flexible price points.
Technology does not (and cannot) replace good service, rather it must be seen as an enabler. General managers need to be careful when choosing what technology to employ. Sometimes, technology is at its best when it is hidden.